Changes to ADHD assessment

Understand what New Zealand government changes mean for you now specially trained doctors and nurse practitioners can diagnose ADHD and prescribe medication.

This is a positive step which will make ADHD care more accessible for many Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington students aged 18 and over who are enrolled as a patient at Mauri Ora.

While not every GP clinic in Wellington will be ready to offer ADHD assessments in early 2026, we know how important timely support is for our students. Mauri Ora will progressively introduce our own ADHD assessment pathway during 2026.

When we launch our ADHD assessment pathway, we must ensure it is safe, student‑centered, and sustainable. This will likely be available during Trimester 2, 2026.

ADHD assessments are detailed and take between four and six hours per student. On top of that, follow‑up appointments to make sure any medication is safe and working well will be required too.

We also want to make sure that providing this service won’t extend wait times for other GP and NP appointments and services. Ensuring that we have adequate resources to support all our patients is important to us.

If you’re interested in learning more, have a conversation with your GP or NP at your next appointment.